Container pad and heat-insulating sleeve

ABSTRACT

A container pad and protective sleeve made integrally of silica gel is provided with a plurality of members and connecting portions respectively disposed between two of the members. The members can freely be adjusted and changed in shape to serve as a container pad or as a container protective sleeve to be tightly covered around the outer wall of a container after the members are adjusted into a solid state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a container pad and heat-insulating sleeve, particularly to one that can be freely adjusted to serve as a container pad for attaining an anti-skid effect, or used as a container heat-insulating sleeve for enabling a user to easily hold a handle-less container and protecting a user from being scalded by a container with high temperature or preventing a container with low temperature from slipping off a table top.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional container pad, as disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,415, titled “Cup pads having light emitting members”, includes a top part having a recessed area for a cup to put therein and a plurality of first holes are defined through the recessed area. Although having efficacy of emitting light, the conventional container pad can only be used as a cup pad but cannot freely be changed personally in ways of application in accordance with practical needs.

A second conventional container pad and sleeve, as disclosed in another U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,905, titled “Illuminated beverage container holder” is formed with an illuminating area around the beverage container so that a user can easily locate the beverage container in low light conditions. The illuminated beverage container holder includes a base with a perimeter side wall upwardly extending there around to define a receptacle designed for receiving therein a beverage container. The perimeter side wall has an outwardly radiating annular lip around a top edge of the perimeter. Although having effects of emitting light and able to serve as a cup pad and a cup sleeve, yet the second conventional container pad and sleeve cannot be altered in ways of application by a user himself according to needs in use.

In view of foresaid drawbacks that the conventional container pads are limited in ways of application, the inventor of this invention thinks that it is necessary to devise a container pad and heat-insulating sleeve that is originally-designed and can be adjusted and changed in ways of application according to practical needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of this invention is to offer a container pad and protective sleeve, which can be freely adjusted and changed in shape to serve as a container pad or a container protective sleeve in accordance with needs in use, able to elevate the efficacy of the container pad and protective sleeve.

The container pad and protective sleeve in the present invention is made integrally of silica gel, including a plurality of members and connecting portions that are respectively provided between every two members. Thus, the members can be freely changed into a plane surface to serve as a container pad, or adjusted into a solid shape to form a container groove and closely covered around the outer side of a container to be used as a container protective sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an upper view of a first preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve in the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve used as a container pad in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve serving as a container protective sleeve in the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an upper view of a second preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve used as a container pad in the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an upper view of a third preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve used as a container pad in the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an upper view of a fourth preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve serving as a container pad in the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an upper view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve used as a container protective sleeve in the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the container pad and protective sleeve in the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an upper view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the container pad and protective sleeve serving as a container protective sleeve in the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an upper view of a fifth preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve used as a container pad in the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the fifth preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve used as a container protective sleeve in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A first preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, is integrally made of silica gel and hence in an adjusting and changing process, it is needless to employ any additional member for carrying out assembling or combining. The first preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve includes a plurality of members 1. Foresaid members 1 can be made into various available shapes, such as shapes of hearts shown in FIG. 1 in which all the members 1 are the same in shape, or shapes of ghosts and goblins of Hallowmas of a second preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 in which the members 1 are identical in shape, or shapes composed of Santa Claus, reindeer and sledges of a third preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, that is, foresaid members 1 can be made into same shapes or different shapes.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, when all the members 1 are in a plane state, the members 1 are used as a container pad to separate a container 3 from a table top for protecting the table top when the temperature of the contents in a container is extremely high. When the temperature of the contents in a container is quite low and water vapor is produced between the container and the table top, the container pad functions to prevent the container from slipping off the table top and causing an accident.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a single connecting piece or plural connecting pieces 2 can be respectively fixed between every two members 1 and preferable, the connecting piece 2 is secured at a location near to the outer ends of every two members 1 so that when all the members 1 are adjusted to be a solid state to serve as a container protective sleeve, the inner diameter of the accommodating space 4 of the container protective sleeve can be increased, as shown in FIG. 4. In addition, since the members 1 are made of silica gel with elasticity; therefore, the protective sleeve can be tightly covered around the outer side of the container 3, enabling a user to hold a handle-less container with easiness.

A fourth preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve equally made integrally of silica gel in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7-10, includes members 50, 51, which are different in shape, and the members 51 are plural ones. The members 50 and 51 can be made into various shapes available, such as a shape of a human body shown in FIG. 7, or shapes of Cupid's heart and arrow of a fifth preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11.

Referring to FIG. 7, connecting portions 52 are respectively provided between the member 50 and the member 51. The member 50 is in a plane state while the member 51 is formed with a main body 510 having a head 511 positioned thereon. Two sides between the main body 510 and the head 511 are respectively extended outward to form a side extension portion 512 having an outer end disposed with a combining portion 513 provided with a combining button 514 or a combining hole 515, and the side extension portion 512 is further formed with a corrugated extension section 516. Thus, combination of the member 50 and the members 51 can be freely adjusted and changed to let the members 50 and 51 together serve as a container pad.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the members 51 can be upwardly adjusted to become erect to have the combining buttons 514 of two side extension portions 512 respectively and correspondingly combined with the combining holes 515 of another two side extension portions 512 to from an included angle of ninety degrees or an included angle approximate ninety degree between the member 50 and the members 51. Thus, the member 50 can serve as a container pad, while the members 51 can be used as a container protective sleeve to form a solid state to have the upper side of the member 50 and the inner sides of the members 51 together formed into a container groove 53 for receiving a container therein, as shown in FIG. 10. Further, the corrugated expanding sections 516 of the side extension portions 512 can expand and shrink back so as to change the inner diameter of the container groove 53 for receiving different-sized containers therein, able to enhance efficacy of the container pad and protective sleeve.

A fifth preferred embodiment of a container pad and protective sleeve made integrally of silica gel in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, includes a member 60 and plural members 61, which are different in shape, and the members 61 are plural ones. The members 60 and the members 61 can be formed into various shapes available.

Referring to FIG. 11, connecting portions 62 are respectively provided between the member 60 and the members 61. Both the member 60 and the members 61 are plane-shaped, and decorative pieces 610 are respectively provided on the members 61 to form a Cupid's Arrow.

Furthermore, each member 61 has an upper surface and a lower surface of two edges respectively provided with a combining groove 611, and each combining groove 611 has an inner side and an outer side respectively disposed with an engage recess 612 and an engage protruding edge 613.

Thus, the member 60 and the members 61 can be freely adjusted and changed, letting both the member 60 and the members 61 serve as a container pad.

Referring to FIG. 12, the members 61 can be upwardly adjusted to stand erect to have the combining grooves 611 of the members 61 mutually receiving corresponding partial edges and then have the engage recess 612 and the engage protruding edge 613 at the corresponding edges combined together to form an included angle of ninety degrees or approximate ninety degrees between the member 60 and the members 61. Thus, the member 60 can be used as a container pad and the members 61 used as a container protective sleeve to form a solid state and have the upper side of the member 60 and inner sides of the members 61 formed into a container groove 63 for receiving a container therein, elevating efficacy of a container pad and protective sleeve.

As can be understood from the above description, this invention has the following advantages.

1. The container pad and protective sleeve of this invention can be adjusted and changed in combination conditions between the members to enable the members to serve as a container pad or as a container protective sleeve and of course, the members after adjusted can serve a dual purpose of becoming a container pad and protective sleeve at the same time.

2. The container pad and protective sleeve of this invention can be freely adjusted according to needs in use, easy in adjustment and safe in use.

3. The container pad and protective sleeve of this invention is able to prevent a user from being scalded, stop a container from slipping off a table top and facilitate a handle-less container to be held by a user.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A container pad and protective sleeve comprising: plural members made integrally of silica gel, one single connecting piece or plural connecting pieces provided between said members, said members able to be made into a plane surface to serve as a container pad, said members able to be adjusted into a solid state to form a container groove for receiving a container therein.
 2. The container pad and protective sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said members are all the same in shape, or all different in shape, or some of said members are of a same shape and others of said members are of different shapes.
 3. The container pad and protective sleeve as claimed in claim 2, wherein a connecting portion is provided between one said member and other different-shaped said members, parts of said members respectively formed with a main body, said main body provided thereon with a head, two sides between said main body and said head respectively extended outward to form a side extension portion, said side extension portion having an outer end disposed with a combining portion, said combining portion provided with a combining button or a combining hole, thus combination between said members able to be freely adjusted and changed to let said members serve as a container pad or a container protective sleeve.
 4. The container pad and protective sleeve as claimed in claim 3, wherein said side extension portion of said member is provided with a corrugated expanding section able to expand and shrink back so as to change an inner diameter of said container groove.
 5. The container pad and protective sleeve as claimed in claim 3, wherein said combining button of said side extension portion of one said member can be combined together with corresponding said combining hole of said side extension portion of another said member to form an included angle of ninety degrees or approximate ninety degrees, thus one of said members able to be used as a container pad and other said members able to serve as a container sleeve, further forming a container groove for receiving a container therein.
 6. The container pad and protective sleeve as claimed in claim 2, wherein a connecting portion is provided between one said member and other different-shaped said members, and a decorative piece is set on said different-shaped members, each said different-shaped member having an upper surface and a lower surface of two edges respectively provided with a combining groove, said combining groove having an inner side and an outer side respectively provided with an engage recess and an engage protruding edge, combination between said members able to be adjusted and changed to enable said members to be used as a container pad or a container protective sleeve.
 7. The container pad and protective sleeve as claimed in claim 6, wherein said members respectively provided with said combining groove can be adjusted to have said combining groove mutually receiving a corresponding part of an edge of said member and then have said engage recess and said engage protruding edge at corresponding edges combined together to form an included angle of 90 degrees or approximate 90 degrees between said members, thus parts of said members able to be used as a container pad and other parts of said members used as a container protective sleeve to become a solid state and form a container groove for receiving a container therein. 